Democrat Rep. James Clyburn (SC-06) called his 1991 support for Justice Clarence Thomas a mistake Sunday. Thomas, he said, had “rebelled” against “his own background and experiences.” Clyburn never said “race traitor.” Those were the words he chose instead.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) had just described the Left's treatment of Thomas as "real bigotry." Its objection, Cruz said, comes down to this: "How dare a Black man believe what he believes?" That framing matters. It puts a name on something Democrats have been doing to Thomas for three decades without ever quite saying it out loud.
Then "Meet the Press" Kristen Welker brought on Clyburn, and he proceeded to make Cruz’s point for him.
Welker ran a clip from Clyburn’s 1991 testimony supporting Thomas. Clyburn called him his “good friend.” He also acknowledged that Thomas was a conservative Republican.
"It’s a pleasure for me to be here today to present testimony in favor of my good friend, Clarence Thomas. I have known Clarence for ten years and I consider him to be a personal and professional friend."
Welker asked if he still stood by that decision. “Absolutely not,” Clyburn answered. He called his support for Thomas a mistake and said he had expected the future justice’s “background and experiences” to guide his conduct on the bench.
It got uglier from there. Clyburn said he expected Thomas to follow certain decisions involving voting and civil rights. "I had no idea that Clarence Thomas would rebel the way he has against his own background and experiences."
Clyburn also faulted Thomas for showing “very little sensitivity” to the Georgia community where his grandfather grew up.
He dragged Thomas’s upbringing and grandfather into it. A Black justice with that history was supposed to rule a certain way. Thomas didn’t, so Clyburn called it rebellion.
James Clyburn says he regrets advocating for Clarence Thomas to join the Supreme Court.
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) August 30, 2026
"I will own up to that mistake."
"I had no idea that Clarence Thomas would rebel the way he has against his own background and experiences."
Disappointed in James here for not just coming… pic.twitter.com/LOeJylzqgT
Clyburn knew Thomas was a conservative Republican in 1991. He said so while supporting him. On Sunday, he called Thomas’s conservative record a rebellion against his background.
Thomas has answered that racial determinism in his own opinions. In his 2023 affirmative-action concurrence, he rejected a "race-infused worldview" that reduces people to their skin color while discounting their individual choices and experiences. That is precisely what Clyburn did on Sunday, measuring Thomas against his background and finding him guilty of departing from it.
Clyburn was not finished. Asked about former Vice President Kamala Harris’s proposal to expand the Supreme Court from nine justices to 13, he endorsed it and called 13 "a pretty good number" and "a baker's dozen."
The South Carolina Democrat then invoked Dred Scott, comparing the current court to the one that ruled Black Americans had no rights the white man was bound to respect, called Thomas "an angry leftist" turned "very angry rightist," and endorsed packing the court with four new seats.
The phrase "race traitor" never crossed his lips. "Rebel against his own background and experiences" did the same job.
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting exposing the radical left and woke media? Support our work so we can keep bringing you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.